History
An 18-credit minor anchored in U.S. History — including the Civil War and the Colonial and Revolutionary era — with nine additional credits to specialize in world history, government, or topical electives.
About the Minor
ACU’s History Minor is anchored in American history. The 9-credit required core covers U.S. History II (HIS 104), the U.S. Civil War (HIS 360), and the Colonial and Revolutionary War era (HIS 370) — three courses that walk you through the formative moments of the American story. From there, nine additional credits of electives let you broaden into world history (HIS 101, HIS 102), U.S. History I (HIS 103), American government (HIS 212), or specialized topics like the World War II Era (HIS 250).
The minor builds the reading, writing, research, and argumentation skills that history training distinctively produces — skills nearly every career rewards. It pairs especially naturally with Political Science, Secondary Education (history concentration), English, Christian Ministries, and any pre-law pathway.
For students considering law school, teaching, ministry, journalism, public policy, or simply wanting a serious humanities anchor in their degree, the History Minor is one of the most flexible and rigorous options on campus.
What You'll Learn
Engage U.S. History
Work through American history across the colonial period, the Civil War, and the modern era — the required core.
Read Historical Sources
Develop the skills of working with primary documents, secondary scholarship, and historical argumentation.
Write Historically
Build the research and writing skills that history training distinctively cultivates — argument, evidence, narrative.
Specialize Through Electives
Shape nine credits of electives toward world history, government, war and conflict, or other topical focuses.
Connect Past and Present
Trace how historical events and ideas continue to shape current political, religious, and cultural life.
History Through a Biblical Worldview
A Biblical Worldview takes history seriously — both as the story of human cultures God has worked in and through, and as the longer context inside which contemporary questions actually make sense.
History as God's Arena
Scripture treats history as the arena where God works — not separate from the political, cultural, and military realities that historians study. A Biblical Worldview takes that seriously, engaging history as the ongoing story God's people are part of rather than as merely secular narrative.
Grounds your reading of history in the conviction that the past matters because God has been at work in it.The American Founding Worth Knowing
The minor's required focus on the Colonial and Revolutionary era and the Civil War isn't arbitrary — these are the formative moments of the American experiment, including its founders' explicit references to Christian and natural-law traditions and its later reckoning with slavery and freedom. Taking them seriously means engaging both the achievement and the failures honestly.
Equips you to engage American identity, citizenship, and policy questions with historical depth.History Reading as Formation
Reading history forms how we see the world. A Biblical Worldview takes that seriously — the kind of history we read shapes the kind of people we become. The minor's emphasis on close reading, careful argument, and primary sources cultivates the habits of mind history demands.
Anchors your history work in the conviction that the discipline shapes character, not just credentials.Where This Minor Takes You
History is one of the most flexible undergraduate minors — sharpening reading, writing, research, and argumentation skills nearly every career rewards.
Pre-Law and Law School Preparation
History remains one of the strongest pre-law minors, building the close reading and argumentative writing law school demands.
Christian School History Teacher
Pair the minor with ACU's BS Secondary Education (History concentration) to teach U.S. and world history in middle and high schools.
Public Policy and Government
Bring historical depth into policy analysis, government, and political work — particularly via HIS 212 and the American-history core.
Journalism and Writing
Move into reporting, editing, and writing roles where historical context strengthens the work.
Christian Ministry and Apologetics
Engage historical questions thoughtfully in pastoral, parachurch, or apologetics work — particularly around the history of the church and the American religious story.
Graduate Study in History or Related Fields
Use the minor as preparation for an MA in history or for graduate work in political science, law, theology, or American studies.
Why Students Choose This Minor
The History Minor at ACU stands out for its American-history-anchored core and the flexibility of its nine-credit elective shelf.
American Founding in the Required Core
Colonial and Revolutionary War (HIS 370) and the Civil War (HIS 360) sit at the center of the minor — formative American moments most undergraduates skim over.
Nine Elective Credits
Choose three additional history courses to specialize in world history, modern history, or topical focuses like WWII.
American Government Available
HIS 212 United States and Arizona Government is an elective option — useful for pre-law and public-policy students.
Pre-Law Friendly
The reading, writing, and argumentation skills history develops are the same skills LSAT preparation and law school assume.
Same Faculty as the History Major (Where Available)
History Minor students sit in the same courses with the same professors as the Political Science majors pursuing history-related concentrations.
Getting Started
The History Minor has light prerequisites — most students complete it across their sophomore through senior years.
Talk With Your Academic Advisor
Map the 18 credits into your degree plan and choose your three elective directions based on where you're heading.
Begin With the Required American-History Core
HIS 104 U.S. History II, HIS 360 U.S. Civil War, and HIS 370 Colonial and Revolutionary War are required. Take them sophomore or junior year.
Choose Your Electives Strategically
Pick electives that complement your major — HIS 212 Government for pre-law, HIS 101/102 World History for breadth, HIS 250 WWII for specialized study.
Build Your Writing Portfolio
History courses are writing-intensive. Save the major research papers and treat them as portfolio pieces — useful for law school applications, graduate study, or writing-heavy career pathways.
Explore More Options
Ready to Engage History Seriously?
The History Minor anchors you in the American story, gives you nine credits of elective flexibility, and sharpens the reading and writing skills nearly every career rewards. Apply or reach out today.
